IGI to get private terminal for chartered flights soon

In a little over two years, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) would have India’s first dedicated terminal for private jets and chartered flights. The general aviation facility would fulfil the long pending demand of corporate houses to have ‘private airports’ or at least separate terminals for business travellers at airports, especially in busy ones like Delhi and Mumbai.

Airport operator Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd had recently invited Express of Interest (EoI) from global fixed base operators (FBOs) to build and operate dedicated General Aviation facilities at IGIA. “This would help in providing exclusive services to users of private and charter aircrafts at IGI,” a DIAL spokesman said.

The special terminal could come up near the existing domestic airport or it might also begin from the international Terminal 2 of IGIA, which was originally planned to be de-commissioned after the integrated Terminal 3 comes up by March 2010.

The FBO would provide services at both the terminals and the airside to general aviation passengers. “Services provided in the terminal would include special lounges, conferencing facilities apart from other amenities like rental cars, charters, catering, hotel reservations etc.,” he said.

In the airside, the FBO would provide handling services, aircraft fuelling, parking and hangar services, the official said.

During the financial year 2007-08, the general aviation traffic has grown at over 22 per cent, recording nearly 10,000 aircraft movements (excluding defence aircraft).

“At present there are nearly 100 general aviation aircraft in India and considering the number of pending applications with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, this number is likely to be ramped up to 300 in a few years,” the official said.